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Cause for concern in South East Asia
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Northern Vietnam lowland rain forests
Vietnam's high human population density has taken a heavy toll on all of the country's habitats, but the coastal forests have been hit particularly hard because populations are highest in the lowlands. More than 90 percent of the ecoregion's natural habitat has been converted to human use. The rampant illegal wildlife trade also threatens wildlife and other natural resources. Conservationists are looking for ways to protect the remaining habitat while ensuring that people in the region have the food, water, and shelter they need to survive.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Orissa semi-evergreen forests
The poverty of people living here is the driving force behind the clearing of forests. Trees are cut for fuelwood and to make room for crops and pastureland. More than 95 percent of this region's habitat has been cleared, leaving behind just scattered patches of forest.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Palawan rain forests
Just over a decade ago, more than 50 percent of Palawan's natural forest was intact. More recent aerial surveys, however, indicate that logging has caused significant reductions in forest cover. As seen from the air, slash-and-burn agriculture has moved from the lowlands and hillsides up to the edges of natural forest in the highlands. Hunting and ornamental plant collecting are also ongoing threats to Palawan's biodiversity.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Peninsular Malaysian montane rain forests
Although about two-thirds of these forests are currently intact, several threats exist. Despite the rugged terrain, logging is now intensive on the lower slopes. Resort development has degraded some popular mountain areas. And a new road is planned in the Main Range, presenting a threat to one of the two largest blocks of primary forest in this ecoregion.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Peninsular Malaysian peat swamp forests
Over half of this small ecoregion has already been cleared or degraded. Logging, tin mining, and clearance for plantations of rice, rubber trees, coconut palms, and oil palms all threaten the forests. In addition, development is a problem in the coastal swamp forests. Water extraction for eel farming and other uses has drawn down the water table, increasing the risks of fire.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Peninsular Malaysian rain forests
Only about one-fifth of the original forest of this ecoregion remains. Most of the forests have been converted to rice fields, rubber and oil palm plantations, and orchards, making clearing for agriculture a major threat to the region. Other threats include hydro projects for power and irrigation, mining and associated road building, and quarrying around limestone areas. Expansion of urban areas also threatens some of the last remnants of coastal dipterocarp forest.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Red River freshwater swamp forests
This ecoregion has been almost totally cleared of its original habitat to make way for agricultural use and settlements. No areas of this ecoregion are currently protected.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
South China Sea Islands
Military groups in the Spratleys have engaged in environmentally damaging activities such as shooting turtles and seabirds, raiding nests, and fishing with explosives. The collection of rare medicinal plants and wood and hunting for the wildlife trade are common threats to the biodiversity of the entire region, including these islands. Coral habitats are threatened by pollution, over-exploitation of fish and invertebrates, and the use of explosives and poisons as fishing techniques.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
South China-Vietnam subtropical evergreen forests
This ecoregion is a shadow of its former self. Large areas of tropical broadleaf forest have been cleared by loggers and farmers. Hunters roam the remaining forests, further reducing animal populations already threatened by habitat loss. Some habitat remains, but animals here find little relief from the pressures of logging, agriculture, and hunting.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests
Wild animals are not the only residents of this ecoregion. Domestic livestock are taking over more and more land as cutting and burning clear new areas. Nearly three-fourths of the natural vegetation has been cleared or converted to plantations, leaving the forest severely fragmented. Construction of dams to provide electricity and irrigation has also resulting in forest loss.
